Fountain-pen.



J. L. CLARKE. DECD. o. z. a n. A. cum: 0- c. s. RAYMOND-BARKER, sxzcuroas.'

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPLICATION HLED m. 1. 191a.

Patented 7 Oct. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- J. L CLARKE. DECD.

0.5.11 n. A. CLARKE a c. s. RAYMOND-BARKER. EXECUTORS.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7.19%-

1,281,134. Patented Oct. 8, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES LANGTON CLARKE, OF LEAMINGTON SPA, ENGLAND; DIANA ELIZABETH CLARKE, REGINALD ADAIR CLARKE, AND CECIL STUART RAYMOND-BARKER, EXECUTORS 0F SAID JAMES LANGTON CLARKE, DECEASED.

FOUN TAIN PE1\T.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed February 7, 1916. Serial No. 76,844.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES LANGTON CLARKE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at 25 Clarendon Square, Leamington Spa, in the county of Warwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Fountain-Pens, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tofountain pens, the characteristic feature of which is that the reservoir which contains the main supply of ink is structurally separate from the Writing part of the pen and suitably connected thereto, 6. 9., by a flexible tube of a suitable size and length.

My invention consists in a pen of the type described, in which by continuous control of the main ink or the like reservoir during writing, ink is forced to the nib by pressure and sucked-back from the nib on the release of such pressure.

The invention also consists in a fountain pen of the type described with a reservoir situate close to the nib, the ink in which reservoir has a surface freely exposed to the air.

The invention further consists in a pen of the kind described in which the reservoirmy invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan,

Fig. 4 a side elevation, and

Fig. 5 an end elevation of an auxiliary ink reservoir used in that construction;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing one manner of using the pen.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are drawn to a scale larger than that of Fig. 1. I

In carrying this invention into effect in the form illustrated by way of example, I employ a penholder of substantially usual construction having a tubular part a between which and an inner part b the nib c is held, and carrying a suitable stem d. I provide an orifice 6 preferably on the under side of the part a, and in such a position as not to interfere with the fingers holding the pen. Through this orifice e I pass a small flexible tube 7 say of rubber, reinforced and connected at its other end to a rubber or like bulb g forming the main ink reservoir.

The end of the rubber tube f remote from the bulb g carries a wire loop h which hooks on to a small metal reservoir i made preferably of soft non-elastic metal. The func tion of the loop h is to keep the tube 1 in place yet to enable it easily to be disconnected for the purpose of inserting any desired nib.

The end of this reservoir remote from the point of the nib is open so that the ink has a surface freely exposed to the air at that place. This reservoir is conveniently fixed on the concave or under side of the nib c by means of ears or extensions j bent over to clip the back of the nib c. The object of this reservoir is to collect a small body of ink as it is pressed out of the flexible tube f, to guide it on its way to the point of the pen without being spilt, and to check too free a flow.

The object of the end of the reservoir remote from the point of the nib being so arranged as to give a surface freely exposed to the air to the ink, is to enable any bubbles that may be in the ink to rise away from the point of the nib when the pen is being used.

The reservoir 2' is prolonged at its front part in the shape of a tongue is, which is bent close to the nib c at its forward part so as to check the ink from flowing too freely out of the metal reservoir 11 to the point of the nib. The tongue 70 is preferably provided with an indentation 0 near the point so that it connot readilybe forced too close to the nib for example in Wiping the pen. This tongue being made of soft non-elastic material, can be bent to whatever proximity to the nib experience with any given nib may prove to be most suitable. The best distance of the end of the tongue is from the point of the nib 0 depends a good deal on the kind of nib used. It can readily be adjusted to suit any particular case.

The main ink reservoir 9 may while writing be held in either hand, but it is more conveniently held in the left hand which is always in the right position for holding the bulb because it is required to steady the paper. The exit from the bulb should be kept downward (see Fig. 6); and the flow of ink is regulated by very gentle pressure on the bulb. The bulb is preferably resilient, tending to take up a position of maximum volume. The amount of resilience should be such as while it does not require an amount of pressure uncomfortable to the writer, is enough to produce sufiicient suckback of the ink from the point of the nib in the metal reservoir. This suck-back which I will now describe, in practice appears to be an important feature of my invention.

When the rubber bulb g filled with ink is very gently pressed, the ink is driven through the flexible tube f into the metal reservoir 2' and out at its other end toward the point of the pen. On this pressure being relaxed it will be observed that the ink near the point of the pen is sucked back toward and into the metal reservoir. This is most important, and entirely prevents that flooding which is so frequently found in fountain pens, especially when the reservoir is nearly empty, and which cannot be guarded against.

Many of the complexities and difliculties which are experienced in the construction and use of fountain pens arise from the want of this suck-back.

The nib can be readily replaced when damaged, and any favorite nib can be substituted immediately. The rubber bulb is not restricted in size, and can be refilled eX- tremely quickly as follows On the part a of the penholder, and between the orifice e and the front end, I prefer to place a sliding collar Z, the object of which is to close the flexible tube 7 in order to prevent any escape of the ink in case of accidental pressure on the bulb, when the pen is not in use and left lying about. The tube is closed by sliding the collar over the orifice 0 through which the flexible tube passes. Motion of the collar in the opposite direction is limited by a stop m.

It will be seen that the construction is very simple and inexpensive, and the pen will work well even with copying ink.

I find the pen has many other advantages, among them being the following Almost any nib may be used and the nib may be changed immediately without sending the pen to the maker. The pen can be filled almost instantaneously; it is cheap and very simple in construction. One can readily tell when the reservoir is empty and it may be noted that a much greater quantity of ink can be stored than in the usual fountain pens. The pen is easily kept in order,

will not blot except from carelessness and can be carried in any position.

By using a pen holder divided into two parts and a small preferably elongated bulb (which will still hold as much ink as. an ordinary fountain pen) the pen can be packed into quite a small case and carried in the pocket in any position without fear of leakage. It is desirable to shake the ink out of the small reservoir after using when the pen is to be put in its case.

Further I find that it does not miss strokes in writing, and will even mark properly over more or less greasy patches on the paper. Thus the known trouble due to greasiness of the surface of the paper which frequently leads to missing strokes, is easily overcome in pens according to the present invention by slightly increasing the pressure on the main reservoir as is found necessary.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A fountain pen comprising a writing portion, a writing fluid supply structurally separate therefrom, a flexible tube ada ted for the passage of said writing fluid rom the supply to the writing portion and vice versa and passing through the Writing portion, an auxiliary reservoir situated close to the nib and freely open to the atmosphere at the end remote from the nib, resilient writ ing fluid controlling means under the con-' trol of the writer and means movably mounted on the said portion for preventing flow.

2. A fountain pen comprising a writing portion including outer and inner gripping sleeves, a resilient reservoir containing the main supply of writing fluid and structurally separate from the writing part of the pen, an auxiliary reservoir formed of a metal plate attached to the nib itself and freely open to the atmosphere at the end remote from the nib, a flexible tube for permitting passage of fluid from the reservoir to the nib and vice versa and entering the sleeves at their rear ends, and resilient fluid controlling means.

3. A fountain pen comprising a writing part, a fluid reservoir structurally separate from aforesaid writing part, an auxiliary reservoir situated closely to the nib and freely open to the atmosphere at the end remote from the nib and a flexible tube for permitting passage of fluid from the reservoir to the nib and vice versa, a resilient fluid .controlling means together with a sleeve disposed around and cooperative with the first-mentioned part of the pen for preventing the passage of fluid through the flexible tube when the pen is not in use.

4. A fountain pen comprising a. resilient reservoir containing the main supply of writing fluid and structurally separate from the writing part of the pen, an auxiliary reservoir formed of a metal plate attached to the nib itself and freely open to the atmosphere at the end remote from the nib, and a flexible tube through which the fluid can be supplied to this reservoir by pressure and withdrawn from the nib on the release of such pressure,

together with a sleeve slidably disposed around and cooperative with the holder for the nib for the purpose of closing the flexible 1!) tube when the pen is not in use.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES LANGTON CLARKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ,Oommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. k 

